Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Nuclear Free Scotland magazine December 2016

Details

Published on Thursday, 15 December 2016 12:17

Contents: 

Overview of 2016 (Gwen Sinclair)

Don't Bank on the Bomb (Arthur West)

Trident Shambles summary of report ( John Ainslie)

In court ... for opposing the convoy( Mary Millington)

On the Road again- straight form the Tarmac (Brian Quail) 

Plus Editorial,  Campaigning News and CND group report

Download (pdf 1.5 Mb)

Letter to Jackie Bailie

Details

Published on Monday, 05 December 2016 13:39

Arthur West chair of Scottish CND has written to Labour MSP Jackie Baillie after she characterised work undertaken on defence diversification as a "pig in the poke" in an amendment to a Scottish Parliamentary motion.

The  original motion has been put up by a number of MSPs  in recent days and  is focussed on  welcoming a recent report by the respected Jimmy  Reid Foundation.

The  Jimmy Reid Foundation report follows on from previous work undertaken by our former co-ordinator John Ainslie and former chair Alan MacKinnon . The report makes a compelling case for scraping trident and spending the money saved on decent things such as housing,health and education.

Arthur West said he was very disappointed that Ms Bailie appears to have dismissed this latest report on the important subject of diversification.

He said that in his letter to the MSP he had asked  her to consider the substantial work that has been done on defence diversification issues.

Arthur West said it looks as though Jackie Baillie needs to give consideration to the issue of what society could do with money saved by scrapping trident. We now have a situation where in areas such as local government thousands of jobs have disappeared in recent years.  Scrapping trident would give us resources and funds to sustain and develop jobs across socially useful areas of the economy such as quality local government services.

Arthur West

Chair of Scottish CND

To order a copy of our report please visit our shop.

Write to your bank - Don't bank on the bomb

Details

Published on Tuesday, 22 November 2016 08:46

I have been representing Scottish CND at meetings of a campaign called Don't Bank on the Bomb . This campaign  links  various organisations from the wider peace movement in a campaign to discourage Banks and Financial institutions from investing in companies involved in nuclear weapons production.
The campaign is keen to get Scottish CND supporters and people from the wider peace movement to write  to their bank and ask them whether or not they invest in companies which are involved in nuclear weapons production.

Hints for writing letters to your bank about involvement in nuclear weapons production -

1.  At beginning of letter let the financial institution know who you are. Tell them that you have an account with them.
2 Tell the bank that you wish to enquire whether they have any investments in companies connected to nuclear weapons production.

Resolutions and amendments SCND AGM 2016

Details

Published on Wednesday, 09 November 2016 14:27

Resolutions for 2016 - 2017

The following resolutions have been submitted for discussion at the Scottish CND AGM (Sat, 12 Nov, Friends Meeting House, Glasgow, 10 am).

Resolution from Scottish CND Executive
Scottish CND resolve to work under the following headings in the remainder of 2016 and during 2017 

-    1 link in with pro independence organisations  to continue to raise awareness that independence could be a vehicle for scrapping trident
-    2 support the development of a Scottish CND/ Scrap Trident Network which argues the case for scrapping trident across the Trade Union movement.
-    3 support the continuing development of a  CND section within the SNP and support efforts to replicate this type of structure within other political parties who support a scrap trident position
-    4 support the campaign for a world wide ban on nuclear weapons by linking with organisations such as ICAN and other parts of the peace movement
-    5 continue working in partnership with the Scrap Trident Coalition and other organisations which are part of the wider Peace Movement in Scotland.
-    6 continue work to highlight the dangers of the convoy and campaign with other organisations on this issue
-  7 continue to involve members in activities and encourage increased involvement
-    8 encourage the setting up of active local groups
-  9 maintain an interest in issues such as NATO and campaign with other groups to raise awareness about the activities and role of NATO in today's world.

HISTORIC VOTE AT UN FOR NUCLEAR WEAPON BAN TREATY

Details

Published on Friday, 28 October 2016 09:18

Yesterday, to the delight of International Campaigners for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the First Committee of United Nations voted to put into place a conference in 2017 that will negotiate a Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty, which like the Land Mine and Cluster Munition Ban Treaties will start the process of prohibiting and eliminating these most devastating of weapons of mass destruction.

The historic vote has been achieved in the face of fierce opposition from nuclear-armed states like the UK, and their dependents like the NATO states. The nuclear-armed states have boycotted the discussions and pressurised the smaller states to vote in the negative. The UK’s UN ambassador Matthew Rowland insisted that the UK has a democratic mandate to renew the Trident nuclear weapon system.